UPDATE2: Russian e-trade association offers sale site for Alibaba analogue

(Adds expert comments in last four paragraphs)

MOSCOW, Apr 8 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Association of Internet Trade Companies (AITC) has suggested setting up an Internet floor to export goods on the basis of its own Web site Cybermonday, a big sale platform, the association’s President Alexei Fyodorov said Friday.

“The AITC can create such an Internet aggregator. We can do it on the basis of Cybermonday, because it has already accumulated most of Russian goods. We should just translate offers into English and Chinese and obtain assistance and support of the government from the point of view of return of value-added tax, because it’s the cornerstone of Russian export,” Fyodorov said.

Mass media reported earlier that the Economic Development Ministry had worked out a project of an analogue of China’s Alibaba to promote exports. The move was ordered by President Vladimir Putin at the end of 2015.

“It’s still unclear who will take payments. Union Pay, Alipay, WeChat? Not everyone has these Chinese payment systems,” Fyodorov said.

Russian goods could be of interest on the Indian market as well, he said.

A spokesperson for Russian Post said later Friday that the national post operator is ready to become a logistical partner of the projected platform and deliver domestic goods abroad.

“Russian Post is ready to ensure quick delivery of high quality of postal items with goods of Russian producers to all 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union,” the spokesperson said.

The operator has the largest branch network in the country with about 42,000 offices and develops services of rapid shipping and receipt of parcels, the spokesperson said.

Ivan Kurguzov, an expert at the Internet Development Institute, said that Russian Post should be involved in the projected platform to secure quick delivery of orders.

“I’m sure that while implementing the discussed steps, it will be impossible to work without Russian Post as they can quickly carry goods over the border,” the expert said.

The list of goods for exports is still to be drawn. “It is often impeded by difficulties and specifics of our internal law,” Kurguzov said.

Deputy Economic Development Minister Oleg Fomichov held a meeting on February 17 on the creation of the platform. “It’s interesting that all the presented sites and Internet stores were not enthusiastic at the meeting to become ‘a Russian Alibaba’, and JD actively offered not to build alternative services, but do everything through them,” the expert said.

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